“If you are a frequent business traveler even the special treatment first class and business class passengers get at busy airports is not enough to relieve the frustration and wasted time of lines and crowds.

Wouldn’t you prefer to be pampered in a private jet charter than fight your way through airports and security lines?

The separate lines and special lounges are a good start, but they can’t compare to the convenience of flying out of a smaller, closer airport and being able to park close by and then walk right up to your private jet.”

Does this describe you? Me neither. I’ve only had the opportunity to ride first class twice, and “frustrating” is certainly not the word I’d use to describe the experience. But just in case first class is not posh enough for you, the above quote is what WannaJet is offering, private jet charters at prices comparable to business and first class tickets. Because, you know, more people taking private jets is exactly what the world needs.

OK, so it’s not exactly a completely private jet, the website matches customers with other travelers going to the same destination on the same day, who then all go together on the same chartered jet. In this way WannaJet is able to offer more competitve prices (competitive in regards to sky-high business class prices, that is. Example: a current offer on the site is for New York to Chicago for 1,719 dollars).

While proponents of green business initiatives (like me) are likely to revile this decidedly environmentally-unfriendly idea, it does offer an entrepreneurial lesson to be learned: Wealthy people have money, and are willing to spend it, so recession or not there is nearly always room for new services addressed to these people. Especially since this is, in effect, a budget luxury service, compared to having a private jet of one’s own. The current trend is for budget airlines where all the passengers are treated the same, there’s no special lounge, just a single (long) line for everyone, and (gasp!) often not even assigned seats. This will hardly do for someone of an aristocratic disposition who doesn’t want to mix with the common folk. So in response, WannaJet’s target clients want more special treatment, not less, not even business class pampering can satisfy them. Are there people like this? I think it almost goes without saying that there are.

Of course, I could be wrong, and WannaJet could turn out to be a huge flop. After all, the airline industry isn’t exactly a goldmine these days. I wouldn’t be to broken up about it, frankly. As far as luxury air travel business ideas go, I’m much more partial to this guy, whose idea was to start up an airline for smokers.